NFL Player Receives Death Threat After Protesting US National Anthem

An NFL player has received a death threat for his involvement in the protests against racism and the U.S. national anthem.

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Delanie Walker, an NFL player with the Tennessee Titans said he and his family received death threats after he said fans shouldn't come to see the game if they think they are being disrespected. 

The threats came after athletes from Tennessee Titans along with the Seattle Seahawks decided to stay in the locker room while the national anthem was being performed. The league said they are investigating the threats. 

 In an Instagram post, Walker said the death threats were "heartbreaking."  

"The racist and violent words directed at me and my son only serve as another reminder that our country remains divided and full of hateful rhetoric," the NFL player said.

"These words of hate will only fuel me in my efforts to continue my work reaching out to different community groups."

"I am proud to represent the many faces of Titans fans and believe that only through a more respectful discourse can we achieve the goals of unity, peace and racial equality that I know we all strive for." 

Country singer Meghan Linsey, who took a knee after she sang the anthem during an NFL game, has also been targeted by hateful rhetoric, the Tennessean reported.

"It wasn’t a matter of standing against our flag or our military," she said. "I was standing up for a cause that I believe in. I think that’s a testament of where we are as a country, that it can be so divisive and so volatile. We’re starting to see that more and more since the election. I just haven’t had it directed at me." 

Amid the controversy over kneeling during the U.S national anthem, Sports Illustrated has left Colin Kaepernick off their latest magazine cover, titled: "A Nation Divided, Sports United."

The article includes nearly 10 people associated with the demonstrations — but fails to recognize Kaepernick, who started the protest back in August 2016.

NBA player, Stephen Curry called the magazine's move "terrible," adding, "It’s just kind of capitalizing on the hoopla and the media and all that nonsense." 

"The real people that understand exactly what’s been going on, and who’s really been active and vocal and truly making a difference, if you don’t have Kaepernick front and center on that, something’s wrong," he said, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.